Miner says he used to make $1m daily before Mahama struck
Wontumi asserts he is no more into galamsey
As shocking as news of the confiscation of his four hundred (400) pickups and five hundred (500) excavators was, Bernard Antwi Boasiako inadvertently walked out of the bathroom naked, the businessman has
He had been called on the phone while taking his bath and could not believe the bad news. In fact, he tags that moment as the saddest day of his life.
Reports suggested that the then government's decision was based on suspicion of aiding some Chinese nationals to engage in illegal mining activities.
Affectionately called Chairman Wontumi, the miner who owns HANSOL Mining Limited, said on The Delay Show that the seizure and burning of his 500 excavators and 400 pickups by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in 2013, led to the collapse of his multi-million-dollar gold mining business.
“I used to make $1m a day... At the height of my mining career, I had about 500 excavators, 400 pickups,” he said on the show monitored by GhanaWeb as he recalled his ordeal.
“It was politically motivated. When it happened, I was in Kumasi. They seized many and burnt many… We even heard that they also sent some to Cameroon. I never received even one of the 400 pickups. I never received one out of the 500 excavators.
“I was sad. When they called to inform me, I was in the bathroom. I forgot myself and left the bathroom naked with the foam on my body. I left the bathroom, reception naked,” Chairman Wontumi said.
According to him, although it was a horrible experience, he “renewed things and decided to set up.”
Meanwhile, a former Member of Parliament (MP) for Tamale Central and former Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Alhaji Inusah Fuseini in 2021, denied burning the excavators when Wontumi made the claim.
He was reported to have said that Wontumi’s excavators were rather confiscated and sent to the Western Regional Coordinating Council. Inusah Fuseini, however, did not state exactly what they were used for.
Atinkaonline.com quoted him to have said that Wontumi was supposed to provide mine support service (Rent out equipment to licensed miners) but did not have the authority to mine himself, hence the confiscation of his excavators.
“I did not burn any excavators. It was Wontumi that sent us to court that we burnt his excavators. The case was being defended when we left the government and it was defended again because we did not burn any excavators,” Inusah Fuseini reportedly said on Atinka TV.
“When we were in power, we defended the case, directed the Attorney General to defend the case, but when we left, the state showed no interest and admitted liability and paid him, we did not burn anybody’s excavator.”
Watch Wontumi's account from the 16th minute of the video below.
